By Coleman                                             H.B. No. 626
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the authority of a county judge in counties with a
    1-3  population greater than 2,400,000 to delegate certain
    1-4  responsibilities.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Chapter 81, Subchapter B, Local Government Code,
    1-7  is amended by adding Section 81.028 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 81.028.  Delegation of Duties of a County Judge in
    1-9  Counties with Population of More than 2,400,000.  (a)  This section
   1-10  applies exclusively to a county judge in a county with a population
   1-11  of more than 2,400,000.
   1-12        (b)  A county judge may file an order with the commissioners
   1-13  court of the county delegating to another county officer or an
   1-14  employee of the county the ability to sign orders or other official
   1-15  documents associated with the county judge's office.  The
   1-16  delegating order shall clearly indicate the types of orders or
   1-17  official documents that the officer or employee may sign on behalf
   1-18  of the county judge.
   1-19        (c)  An order or official document signed by a county officer
   1-20  or county employee acting under the delegated authority of the
   1-21  county judge in accordance with this section has the same effect as
   1-22  an order of the county judge.
   1-23        (d)  The county judge may at any time revoke the delegated
    2-1  authority or transfer it to a different county officer or county
    2-2  employee by filing an order with the commissioners court of the
    2-3  county.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-5  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-6  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-7  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-8  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.